Question

You represent a printed circuit board company as its environmental officer. The manufacturing process uses a liquid chemical which is a hazardous waste when it becomes a waste. At the end of the aqueous process line the chemical is piped directly into a treatment process which treats the waste and discharges it to a sewerage system pursuant to a permit from the sewer authority. The company manager asks you to determine if they are treating and disposing of hazardous waste.

Answer 1

Hazardous wastes must be handled according to the laws that are made for the handling and disposal of these wastes as these are toxic in nature and might cause health problems. These wastes must be segregated from normal wastes and must be dumped in seperate areas where they are recycled or destroyed. But the company cannot simply discharge it into sewage systems bytreating it. Even though it has permission from the sewer authority ,it will become a problem for the environment and it is the responsibility of the company to avoid any harm to the environment. Hence the hazardous wastes must be handle as per law.